Laser guided jigsaw

Rabs

Probably silly to post this but I got a new jigsaw today...  Its funny cos I do go through power tools..  Once every 12 or 18 months I generally need a new one (all that oak  :P ) ..  And when you buy that many you notice the little changes the manufacturers make.. Sometimes good sometime you think why did they bother..

So this new jigsaw as the title says has a laser for straight cutting..  Maybe I spend too much time with tools these days but I thought that this was pretty cool 

https://i.imgur.com/bV9WI0A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PKVWL7r.jpg

Sporky

Everything should have lasers on it.

Including other lasers.

TTony

It's a jigsaw.

That line shows you where the cut would have been, if you'd used a saw for cutting straight lines, rather than a jigsaw.


I never used to think that tracksaws were worthwhile, until I used one.

randella

Also drills have worklights in the front now.  I didn't discover this until I replaced my ageing Ryobi cordless effort with a new DeWalt.

Sounds like pointless frippery on the face of it, but is really really useful.

paulnb57

TTony said:

It's a jigsaw.

That line shows you where the cut would have been, if you'd used a saw for cutting straight lines, rather than a jigsaw.


I never used to think that tracksaws were worthwhile, until I used one.

Wisdom!
Great idea, but the blade never follows the laser....ever!

Roland

randella said:

Also drills have worklights in the front now.

And lasers

normula1

when the introduce a jigsaw that stops my hand wandering even if the jigsaw is running between two straight edges I'll be impressed. A laser is just going to show up more of my mistakes

randella

normula1 said:

when the introduce a jigsaw that stops my hand wandering even if the jigsaw is running between two straight edges I'll be impressed. A laser is just going to show up more of my mistakes

I must confess I'm not the biggest fan of the electric jigsaw.  It has its uses, but for the most part I've gone back to £10 worth of new, sharp panel saw for the majority of cuts.  Luddite I know, but I can consistently get a much straighter line with one.

Not a dig at the OP, there's a knack to using a jigsaw that I just don't have.  I've used much more expensive ones than my own so it's not that either, it's me.

normula1

haha my hand sawing is about a gazillion times worse than my jigsawing

Rabs

I will have you know I am a jigsaw ninja...  Out of necessity of course  without this skill I wouldn't be able to make bugger all. 

https://i.imgur.com/TljvULm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uqc6q1M.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8hUwEIq.jpg

Rocker

I borrowed a Ryobi drill a few years ago. It had a spirit level - brilliant idea as I always found that at least one of a number of holes drilled in masonry was not level. Never saw this feature on other hand drills...

Rabs

Rocker said:

I borrowed a Ryobi drill a few years ago. It had a spirit level - brilliant idea as I always found that at least one of a number of holes drilled in masonry was not level. Never saw this feature on other hand drills...

That IS a very cool idea...

randella

Rabs - just out of curiosity.  Your thread here has made me think - I've got a bunch of stuff planned for which I thought I'd invest in a benchtop bandsaw.

In the meantime, that's some seriously impressive stuff you've done with the jigsaw.  Is it a posh one?  And what blades do you use?

I think if I was let loose on that wood with my el-crappo jigsaw the guitar would end up looking more like it belonged to Bo Diddly than Les Paul.

Roland

You can get a reasonable cut with a jigsaw if you clamp a straight piece of wood parallel with your cutting line. I’ve also done curved lines using a metal strip as a fence, something which you couldn’t do with a bandsaw or railsaw

Sporky

I'm pretty sure a bandsaw will cut almost any curve better than a jigsaw will.

Rabs

randella said:

Rabs - just out of curiosity.  Your thread here has made me think - I've got a bunch of stuff planned for which I thought I'd invest in a benchtop bandsaw.

In the meantime, that's some seriously impressive stuff you've done with the jigsaw.  Is it a posh one?  And what blades do you use?

I think if I was let loose on that wood with my el-crappo jigsaw the guitar would end up looking more like it belonged to Bo Diddly than Les Paul.

Nope... not a posh one.   Something like this (as they change models all the time).. And I use the Bosh wood cutting blades. On the back of the blade packs it says what it is good for, I think one of the categories is hard wood.

http://www.diy.com/departments/bosch-pst-620w-4-stage-orbital-pendulum-jigsaw-pst900pel/239835_BQ.prd

I will say like all tools it just takes some practice getting a cut like that... Going around curves what I do is stop putting forward pressure on and cut on the spot, move it back a tiny tiny amount and when you move it forward again you put forward pressure in the direction you want to go. You sort of pivot it round on the spot. 

If I had the money or the space for a proper band saw though id certainly rather do it on one of those.  But again it will take time to learn how to get the best out of any new tool. Actually what I wouldn't give for a band saw right now

Roland

Sporky said:

I'm pretty sure a bandsaw will cut almost any curve better than a jigsaw will.

Yep. I was referring to a curved fence.

randella

Cheers Rabs for the info, appreciated. 

I'm alright with a jigsaw in sheet material (ply, MDF) but anything thicker and I'm done. I did look at a better saw than my ancient Wickes own brand effort, but given the Bosch/DeWalt/Makita trinity seem to start at about 80 quid like yours I think I'll go for the £100 bandsaw and see where that gets me. I've got the room for it anyway. 

Nomad

Check the bandsaw specs carefully before shelling out - throat, height of cut, and power, especially. Also things like how well made and easy to adjust the fence is.

Kahuna

You can buy beard trimmers with lasers.

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/2489887?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|cid:199887993|agid:17470601073|tid:aud-140969654713:pla-94415108433|crid:74692317393|nw:g|rnd:12388338757260510169|dvc:m|adp:1o1|mt:|loc:9046370&gclid=CjwKCAiA3o7RBRBfEiwAZMtSCW4mgzNcVH5qclBZpR0miuOc4-alMf95XigLEcZW4NqPnMEbW25XLBoCSWQQAvD_BwE

JD50

Roland said:

Sporky said:

I'm pretty sure a bandsaw will cut almost any curve better than a jigsaw will.

Yep. I was referring to a curved fence.

Could also use a router